This week my main goal was to achieve the balayage look. The new trend has suddenly swept across the celeb nation with stars such as Jessica Biel, Rachel Bilson, Sarah Jessica Parker and Elle McPherson sporting the natural look.
So what is balayage? Well first of all, Bridget from The Salon IFSC tells me that the technique has actually been around for ages, but the style, which she says is "recession proof" is only just starting to get popular.
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| Cameron Diaz has recently tried out balayage. |
So the main difference between balayage and getting highlights?
1. No roots people!! Yes balayage is designed to give the affect of natural hair tones, the top will always be darker than the bottom, so no need to top up every 6 weeks, you can leave it every 3 months if you want.
2. The colour is 'painted' onto your hair, instead of seperate sections being packed up so that every second strand has the colour.
3.Your hair colour will have much more natural tones as it is supposed to match up to your natural colour.
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| All the colours are only a slightly different shade to your own colour. |
So this is the end result, but I'm going to talk you through each step. Like I said before, the best place in Dublin for balayage is The Salon IFSC. Stylists Danielle and Bridget both have experience in the technique but Bridget as been doing it for longer, so she did my hair this week:
1. Step one, you have to choose what type of Balayage you want. I had bright blonde going in to the salon, but I knew I wanted a dark chocolate brown at the top, falling into caramel/dark blonde at the bottom.
2. Bridget mixed up two different colours. First the chocolate brown for the top of my hair, to create the no root effect, and then the actual balayage mix, which picks up natural tones along your hair.
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| Getting my balayage on! |
3. I was left to relax with a big mug of tea and magazines for about twenty minutes, before Bridget put an all over toner on my hair, from mid-lenght. Remember I wear Hotloxs Hair Extensions, so Bridget made sure to tone them all down.
4. Ta Daaaa, I was finished. Bridget gave me a beautiful curly blow dry with lots of volume and the balayage look was complete.
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| I have a much darker look all over with painted on lighter tones throughout. |
Bridget says that balayage is easiest for brunettes, dyed or natural, because she literally "paints" the colour on with a brush. So if you want light blondes, or deep caramels on a brunette colour it is really easy to accomplish.
I had the toner put in because my hair was so blonde and I really wanted to tone it down, but most of you wont need that at all.
I instantly fell in love with the balayage look. As always The Salon IFSC always produce the colour and style exactly the way I want it.
Also if you are looking to walk on the wild side you can get balayage with red or pink tips, this would work lovely on a dark brunette or someone with black hair. But please God do not follow this horrible look from Kate Bosworth.
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| Kate went too far with her dip-dye look. |
Overall I am so so so happy with the look. Like I said at the beginning of all this, Bridget said the look is "recession proof". I don't need to go back to the Salon IFSC for about 3 months now. In fact the more it grows out, the more natural it will look.
Long term this look is so much cheaper than highlights and looks so more natural. Models all over the world use this technique to give that natural and youthful look, and it genuinely makes your hair look like it has never been touched with dye.
If you have any more questions about the technique, leave a comment below or email me on msmaggiered@gmail.com.
I'll be back next week with another Beauty Diary, testing out a brand new beauty treatment. In the next few weeks I will be checking out the best make-up out there, starting laser hair removal and trying out a new hair extension technique.
Miss Red
xxx
PS!!!
To book an appointment with the amazing Salon IFSC, call them on 01-611-6958 and check them out on FACEBOOK.
And to get amazing real hair extensions like I have, contact Hotloxs Hair on their FACEBOOK and their WEBSITE.
